Mars Needs Moms!

Being a Mom is hard work.  Some days Little Miss adores me, but there are other days when she is not very happy with me.  When I’m trying to get her to eat something she doesn’t want, or take a bath when she is not ready, or especially when it’s time to go to bed!  Of course, there are more times when she adores me than not, so it all works out! 

In honor of the March 11th release of "Mars Needs Moms," SocialMoms is bringing us an entertaining new blogging program that asks us what are the top ten things you think your kids would miss most about you if you were abducted by aliens/Martians?  So here is my ten!

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Manic Monday Mixer! 5 Artists Who Make Me Smile

This week for Manic Monday Mixer Natalie & I are hosting a way to learn about the people who are a part of our lives (big or small).  Over the past few months I have gained so many acquaintances yet I would love to learn more about those who read, support, or just happen to stop by my blog.  I really love engaging with other people, bloggers, readers, etc... With that being said here's an icebreaker to get us started, great music just has this way of making me stop whatever I am doing...reminding me of the past...completely changing my mood...I am always in my head sometimes I need music to move me to a different place. 

Anyways, here's a twist on High Fidelity's "Top 5 list"...

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Vegetarian King Ranch Casserole - Meatless Monday

I had never heard of King Ranch casserole until I saw this post on Chez Cayenne.  I thought the flavors sounded delicious, so I decided to make it myself.  This casserole, reminiscent of enchiladas, consists of beans, fresh peppers and mushrooms, and a delicious creamy sauce.  I'm not kidding, this was one of the best sauces I've had in a really long time!

Her recipe calls for veggie chicken or seitan; I used tofu instead.  I sliced the tofu (9 oz) into cubes, splashed some Bragg's on it, and baked it in the oven at about 350 until it got crispy around the edges, turning once during cooking.  In the interest of using up things I had on hand, I used 12 ounces of oniony salsa left over from a party instead of an onion and a can of rotel.

I also used sour cream and a Mexican cheese rather than using the vegan versions, although I'm sure it would be easy enough to use those as well.  I didn't use roasted red peppers because I couldn't get the jar open (embarrassing, I know).  I think next time I'll just add some fresh red peppers in with the poblano.  For small white beans I used cream peas since I had some in the freezer that needed using.

 
These are the mushrooms and the poblano.  Don't they look delicious?  This was my first time cooking with a poblano - it's a really mild pepper, and easy to work with.

This is the cream sauce.  It has some sour cream and cheese in it, but really not that bad for you overall.  And the taste is HEAVENLY!

The finished product - it was so delicious!

This is linked to Hearth and Soul and My Meatless Mondays

Tropical Traditions Coconut Oil - A Review and a Giveaway!

Congratulations to the winner - Angie Lilly!  Comment #109!


When I got my amazingly well packaged Gold Label Coconut Oil from Tropical Traditions, I wasn’t sure what to expect.  I’ve heard a lot of good things about it, but I couldn’t help but wonder if it would affect the taste of my food.  When I opened the container, it was solid – coconut oil is a solid up to 76 degrees, so depending on the temperature in your house it might be a solid or a liquid.  It had a coconut smell, but not a whole lot of coconut flavor when I tasted it, which was good!   

I started easy, with a red coconut curry.  Because of the high fat content of the coconut oil, I decided not to use quite as much as I normally do.  I simply scooped it out as a solid and it quickly melted in the pan.  It turned out great!  A few days later it got its real test – Mexican food.  I used it to make a Mexican casserole and didn’t notice any coconut flavor in the food at all!  Mission:  It Doesn’t Make Your Food Taste Funny a success!  It also handles high heat well.  I love that it is resistant to mutations of fatty acid chains even under high heat, unlike most vegetable oils.  This makes it an excellent choice for frying.  You can find a great assortment of reader submitted recipes here. 

Red Curry made with Tropical Traditions Coconut Oil

Coconut oil can also be used to condition your hair and skin (it makes a wonderful all-natural chapstick) in addition to being eaten.  I know my Aunt who suffers from multiple chemical sensitivity disorder uses coconut oil all of the time for conditioning of her skin and lips. 

BUY IT:  You can buy Tropical Traditions Gold Label Virgin Coconut Oil here.  Use referral code 6967300 to get a free Virgin Coconut Oil book with over 85 recipes!  

WIN IT: Tropical Traditions has graciously offered to give one lucky reader a free quart of coconut oil!  

  Entry Methods:

*Please leave one comment for each entry method.  On at least one of those comments leave an e-mail address so I can contact you if it is not available via your blogger profile.  Contest ends Mar 11, 2011 at midnight and the winner will be announced by Mar 13th. Open U.S and Canada only.

1.            Mandatory - Sign up for Tropical Traditions newsletter and leave a comment below.  They are always having great sales!  

2.            Follow me on GFC, twitter or like me on facebook. (1 entry each - leave a comment below for each entry)

3.      Follow Tropical Traditions on Facebook or twitter.  (1 entry - leave a comment below for each entry).  

4.            Tweet about this contest (up to 1 entry per day) 

          I entered the @Troptraditions  #giveaway @FrugalGreenMom1 http://nblo.gs/eKRiT

5.       Comment on any of my non-giveaway posts (1 extra entry limit).  Leave a comment below telling me which post you commented on.  

6.            Grab my button and post it on your blog – 2 entries.  (Leave 2 comments)

Don't forget to check out my other giveaways here!

**Disclaimer: Tropical Traditions provided me with a free sample of this product to review, and I was under no obligation to review it if I so chose.  Nor was I under any obligation to write a positive review or sponsor a product giveaway in return for the free product.  All opinions expressed are 100% my own. 

Five Question Friday

It's Friday again!  Hurray!  My husband is coming home today after being gone for two weeks, so that makes it an especially good Friday.  So here are the 5 questions to learn a little about me.

1. Can you drive a stick shift?  

Yes!  I actually prefer driving a standard, although my present car is an automatic.  First one I've had since college that wasn't a stick.  I really do miss it!   

2. What are two foods you just can't eat?  

Cow in any form - I haven't eaten red meat since high school sometime.  Although I can tolerate taking a bite of chicken every now and then, red meat just totally grosses me out.

Southern style greens - For years, I thought I hated greens.  And then one day I discovered that it's the cooking method that turned them into a mushy slimy smelly mess that I hated.  Now I eat greens all of the time - quickly sauteed in garlic and EVOO, or thrown into soups and chilis.  I never knew what I was missing!  

3. Do you buy Girl Scout Cookies? What is your favorite kind?

Even though I once was a Girl Scout, I don't buy the cookies very often.  We aren't big sweet eaters in this house, so they'd end up lost and forgotten, so I leave them for the people who have genuine love for them.  I used to love samosas, but they changed the recipe on me and they aren't the same!  

4. How do you pamper yourself?  I don't.  I should, but I don't.  My husband is gone a lot, which leaves me with the munchkin most of the time - and on my days off I tend to spend them cleaning and catching up on my blog and stuff like that.  So other than a glass of wine at night after the munchkin is in bed, there isn't much pampering!

5. What is your nickname and how did you get it?  When I was in high school a lot of people called me Little O - that's the only nickname I've ever had! My best friend gave it to me because I was pretty tiny in high school and my last name started with an "O".  I think I'm just not a nickname kind of person!  

Happy Friday!  Please take a moment to check out my current giveaways here!  

Spring is Here!

This is my favorite time of year.  Trees are budding, plants are coming back up, and everything just feels alive.  Plus it's not too hot either!  I love the crispness in the mornings, and sitting on the back porch at night listening to our waterfall.

I took this picture this morning.  There are several more daffodils getting ready to bloom any day now!  Aren't they lovely?  I can't believe how quickly they came up.

Here are Little Miss' "Princess Flowers".  She got them when staying with her Grandparents a while back - I think we'll transfer them to pots this weekend!

I even got her some tools so she can help with the planting.  The Princess markers came with the flower kit.  I forgot to get her a watering can though - I think we may have one in the garage, I need to look for it.  If not, maybe I can make a watering can??

Are you enjoying Spring weather yet?

Billy Kelly's The Family Garden - A Review and Giveaway

If you’re a fan of fun, upbeat, and silly music, you’ll really enjoy Billy Kelly’s newest children’s CD – The Family Garden with guest artist Molly Ledfod of Lunch Money .  This witty album uses a lot of fun wordplay, which will get your children thinking and keep you entertained!  This CD was recorded live in the studio with minimal overdubs, so it really captures the personality of the band. 

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Wordless Wednesday

A fountain at Seville Quarter in Pensacola, FL 

We Have Winners!

Sorry I'm a little late on posting the winners, Mondays are always so hectic!

A special thanks to our sponsors Eye Candy Coolers and My Bum Book for such great giveaways!

And now, the winners....

Winner of the Eye Candy Coolers:

Comment # 203 - Beckee said..I need these because I have 4 kids and 1 more due in 6 weeks! 

Winner of the Bum Book:

Comment # 10 - strawberry said…I follow you on Twitter.

Immunet - A Review and a Contest!

We all know and fear them – the dreaded internet computer virus.  I would imagine most of us have even been affected by them once or twice!  However, many virus scan programs can slow down your computer tremendously.  That’s what I really like about Immunet, founded by a former Symantec and McAfee security veteran and entrepreneur.   I’ve only tested it for a couple of days, but I haven’t noticed it slowing anything down.  This is because it resides in the cloud instead of on your computer.  You can read CNet’s review on it here. 

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Asian Salad - Meatless Monday

Last week I had a post on making a ground beef substitute, so this week I'm going to give you a great recipe to use it in!  This is based on an Asian Lettuce Wrap recipe, but I simply made it into a salad.  I love the spiciness of the "meat" contrasting with the coolness of the salad!

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Manic Monday Mixer!

Come link your blog at Manic Monday Mixer AND get a chance to win a $20 Amazon GC!  How cool is that???
I'm the lucky co-host this week, so go and link up your blog, facebook page, and twitter account!

Here's to another week of Manic Monday Mixer whether you need to add to your gfc, facebook, or twitter exposure, I'm glad you are here!  To celebrate MMM one month anniversary, I am going to be randomly choosing one participant to receive a $20 Amazon gift certificate (via email).  

Two giveaways ending tonight!

Eye Candy Coolers - Ends Feb 20th, US and Canada

my bum books - Ends Feb 20th, Worldwide

Alphie - Blast From the Past Still Providing Learning Fun!

Anyone who has a toddler know that interest in toys can be short lived.  Little Miss rarely plays with the same toy for more than one day in a row.  Playskool Alphie has changed that however!  You may remember Alphie the friendly robot from when you were little.  He’s a sturdy little robot who interacts with your child through 30 double-sided cards that cover letters, numbers, colors, music, and reasoning skills.  He has a holder on his back to hold the cards, and you can insert them in the front to play games with Alphie. 

The games are fairly simple, although some of them require reasoning skills.  Several of the cards require matching 2 columns (various amounts of fruit on one side, numbers on the other).  Other cards highlight a specific letter.  Each letter card highlights phonics, fun facts, and asks a question, depending on which button you push.   My daughter’s favorite card is the one that gets Alphie to sing the alphabet.  She loves singing it with him! 

He has a very cute animated face and two volume levels.  He also turns himself off after not being used for more than ten minutes.  My daughter loves his handle, which makes it very easy for her to carry him from room to room.  He runs on three AA batteries, which are included in the box. 

There are also booster packs that you can buy for even more fun!  Right now they have Playskool Alphie Booster Pack - Letters, Playskool Alphie Booster Pack - Numbers and Playskool Alphie Booster Pack - Music and Sounds. 

My only complaint is that I wish the cards were sturdier or that there was a more secure way to insert them in the front.  They slide into a slot, and I worry that at some point Little Miss will tear up the cards from normal toddler wear and tear.  We also have to make sure to hide it when some of her more “active” friends come over.  We haven’t actually torn up any cards yet, so it is possible that I’m just worrying to much!

Overall, I think this is a great toy for the 3-5 year old set, and it really is a great learning supplement!     

**I received an Alphie for review purposes.  All opinions expressed are 100% my own. 

Five Question Friday

I thought some of you might like to know a little bit more about me, so I think I'm going to start participating in 5 Question Friday!  I hope you enjoy this glimpse into my life!

1. Have you worn the same outfit more than one day in a row?  I hate to admit it, but I have.  Often I’ll throw on clothes from the day before first thing in the morning, then change later after I’ve had a chance to take a shower.  Before I had a child this rarely happened, but now it’s a lot more frequent!

2. If you had to choose any LARGE city to live in, which would it be?  Wow!  I’m not sure – I’ve never thought of myself as a big city sort of gal.  Maybe London?  I loved London when I went there, and it was the first big city I felt comfortable in.  There are so many that I’ve never been to, though, so who knows?   

3. Fly or drive with the kids on vacation?  Definitely drive.  I think I’d lose my mind trying to get Little Miss through an airport, especially if there were transfers involved!  When we travel we do the wake up in the middle of the night to leave and get a good head start before Little Miss wakes up – that works pretty well for us! 

4. What is your idea of "spring cleaning"?  What’s spring cleaning??  Unless my Mom comes over and says we need to clean, it pretty much doesn’t get done.  Which reminds me, I need to get her to come over soon : ).  I’ll sometimes tackle small problem areas, but I have to do very small sections at a time – I’ve just never been much of a cleaner!

5. What is the best book you have ever read?  This is a hard one!  I have a ton of books I loved while I was reading them, but most don’t stick with me.  I guess it would have to be Food Matters: A Guide to Conscious Eating with More Than 75 Recipes, by Mark Bittman.  It’s like the Omnivores Delimma, but a lot easier to read.  His ideas have stuck with me, and it’s the book I most frequently recommend to others. 

 HAVE A GREAT WEEKEND!!  

Recycle! Thursday's Eco Tip

After you've reduced buying and reused everything you can, it's time to recycle.  Some things are easy.  Here, we have curbside pick-up of paper, cans, and glass.  Other things, however can be a lot more difficult.  Electronics, clothing, and household goods can be a lot more difficult to get rid of.  Here are some resources to help!

• Gazelle:  Gazelle will take your used electronic devices off of your hands and pay for them!  They even send you a box with a free shipping label to make it super-easy for you.  All you have to do is enter the brand, model, and condition of the item you're looking to get rid of and they'll make you an offer.  They also have a great list of local recyclers for anything that they won't take.   
• Craigslist:   I use Craigslist all of the time to get rid of things that we no longer want.  Simply post it in the Free section and wait to hear back.  If you're uncomfortable with having someone meet you at your house, you can always meet at a public area nearby.  This is a great way to get rid of bushes, trees, and other plants you no longer want as well!  
• Thredup:  Have children's clothes or toys that are still in good shape but your child has outgrown?  For $5 plus shipping you can trade your box of clothes for someone else's.  Boxes are rated by users to keep people honest, and you can often find great introductory offers for this company online.  
• Donate it:  Most areas have tons of thrift stores, and many of them will even pick your things up if you have a lot!  Vietnam Veterans of America is one group, but there are many others as well!
• Freecycle:  Similar to Craigslist, list anything you want to give away here and wait to be contacted.  They also send out daily e-mails if you want to sign up for them.  

How do you like to recycle?

Share some happiness!

Valentine’s Day has come and gone – a day that many people use to show those they love how much they care about them.  We don’t do much in our household to celebrate Valentine’s Day.  Why?  Because we think that every day is an opportunity to share happiness and love with our family and friends.  I hope you’ll join me in using this month to share happiness with all of those around you! 

How can you share happiness? 

It can be as easy as letting that person directly behind you in line at the grocery store who seems to be having a bad day ahead of you.  I know I’ve had people do that for me, and it made a world of difference!  Especially when Little Miss is with me and is having a bit of a meltdown.  Whenever I’m at the store without her I try to make sure I let that harried Mom go in front of me.

Buy the person behind you at the drive-in their coffee/meal/bridge toll.  It’s so nice when you realize a person you don’t even know treated you!  Often it sparks a great train of goodwill as well, so the love continues to be shared.

Offer to babysit for a friend who has a lot going on.  As a parent whose significant other is on the road a lot, I know how hard it can be to never be able to get out without your child.  I would love it if some of my friends would offer to watch Little Miss every once in a while! 

Send a card.  How often do you get a card in the mail these days?  Make it a point to send a card out – monthly weekly, whatever you can handle.  Who knows, you may start getting cards back!  E-mail is great for keeping in touch, but it just isn’t the same as a handwritten card from a friend.   I sent someone special a card last week and they called me they were so happy to get it!  Cards can truly brighten someone’s day.

Meet a friend for lunch.  Take the time to catch up with a friend you haven’t seen for a while over lunch.  Even if you just have sandwiches at the park, it’s great to be able to catch up with old friends.  I know with busy schedules it can be hard! 

I hope you’ll make a conscious effort this month to share happiness with both people you love and some strangers!  We can make the world a brighter place without much effort at all. 

What are your ideas for sharing happiness? 

“I wrote this blog post while participating in the SocialMoms and Hershey's blogging program, for a gift card worth $25 and some product. For more information on how you can participate, click here.” 

Little One Books - A Review and Giveaway!

As you all know, we LOVE books at our house!  Bookstores can be overwhelming at times – so many books to choose from!  That’s what I love about Little One Books.  It’s easy to search by age to find a great book for your child.  I also love the personal reviews they post for each book.  Here is a little information about their company.

Joan McCoy and Barney Cohen have five grandchildren under the age of six. They started a web-based store because they saw an unmet need in the area of children’s media. Little One Books only carries quality books, music, and video, for children birth through age five. As they looked for books, music and videos for their own grandchildren, they were overwhelmed by the number of products.  The search would have been so much easier had someone been able to guide them. That's why they created Little One Books - to help others make informed choices among the vast amount of material available for young children today.

Barney and Joan have personally selected and reviewed each and every item that Little One Books carries. The Little One Books staff tells our customers why we have selected these products in the “Why we chose” section of our individual product pages. The Little One Books site is organized by age, and each product is matched to what we believe is the youngest appropriate age.

I was allowed to pick a book from their website to review.  There were so many great choices!  They have the Llama Llama series, which is a favorite at our house, and many other great books.  I finally decided to go with ALL ABOARD!  A Travelling Alphabet by Bill Mayer.  This book is great!  It’s definitely coffee table worthy, which isn’t usual for children’s books.  The book travels through the alphabet, with each page highlighting a different letter.  The letters are slightly hidden in the pictures – The letter A is formed by the loading ramp of a cruise ship (All Aboard), the letter B is formed by the arches of a bridge.  The last page of the book “reveals” the letters on each page.  Because of the search factor, I think this book has the ability to grow with your child.  I know it will be one of the books we keep simply because of the great artwork! 

Little One Books has an amazing selection of quality books!  They also have a great promotion going on right now.  If you buy any two books from Little One Books, you can get the Good Night CD for free!  Use code goodnight at checkout to receive your free CD.  

BUY IT:  You can visit Little One Books here to  shop for your own books.

WIN IT:  Little One Books has graciously offered to let one lucky reader win a $15 gift certificate to spend on their site!

  Entry Methods:

*Please leave one comment for each entry method.  On at least one of those comments leave an e-mail address so I can contact you if it is not available via your blogger profile.  Contest ends Mar 4, 2011 at midnight and the winner will be announced by Mar 6th. Open U.S only.

1.            Mandatory - Follow Little One Books on Facebook - don't forget to tell them I sent you!  

2.            Follow me on GFC, twitter or like me on facebook. (1 entry each - leave a comment below for each entry)

3.      Follow Little One Books on twitter.  (1 entry - leave a comment below for each entry).  Please tell them I sent you!

4.            Tweet about this contest (up to 1 entry per day) 

          I entered the @littleonebooks #giveaway @FrugalGreenMom1 http://bit.ly/eZs4mg

5.       Comment on any of my non-giveaway posts (1 extra entry limit).  Leave a comment below telling me which post you commented on.  

6.            Grab my button and post it on your blog – 2 entries.  (Leave 2 comments)

Don't forget to check out my other giveaways here!

**I received a book from Little One Books for review purposes. All opinions expressed are 100% my own.  The winning comment will be chosen by random.org.**

Wordless Wednesday - A Great Little Seafood Place

Seafood is the only meat product I haven't completely given up yet.  I probably only eat it about once a week, but I'm not ready to kick the habit yet!  Joe Patti's is right on the water and my favorite place to get fresh seafood.  They have amazingly yummy bread too!

And here is his boat  - it's huge!